I finally broke down and actually bought the Advance Auto "ReadyRad" from Mexico PN 433556 for $95 plus a gallon of good antifreeze.
I have the 84 LX conv, rebuilt '86 5.0 with AOD, CFI and AC.
This radiator is for the 4bbl but fit pretty good. Weighs nothing compared to the old metal one. Only PIA was getting the new steel clips on the soft aluminum rail for the fan shroud.
It is a major modern cheapo with plastic tanks and aluminum 2 core approximating the thickness of my original brass unit.
BUT it works fantastically. Changed nothing else. Only the radiator. Still running the same stock 192F thermostat.
It took about 1.5 gallons of 50/50 mix to fill the new radiator. I was surprised that all the trans fluid had drained back into the trans when cold and there was nothing in the trans cooler which was good saving a mess and not having to refill it.
I did like it said and idled the car for 1/2 hour and let it cool. Took off cap (against their advice) and topped off the tank about an inch while it was still warm. The next morning the expansion tank was down 1" so topped it off and went for a long drive.
NOW it runs in the 1/3 range of temp dial when it used to run 1/2-5/8 all the time and would spike 7/8's in traffic with AC on high. Never goes above 1/2 now no matter how hot in FL traffic.
I knew it had a very small leak as plugged it with "the stuff" which worked for a whole year.
You can see from the pix attached that there was a major buildup of paperlike greasy substance on the hidden inside surface of the radiator blocking those passages. There was significant blockage of grass and bugs too that washed out of the rest of it. It still needs recoring and that would have been way more than this new radiator costs - which is very light weight and certainly works well.
From now on if I get an oldie car I will remove the radiator and hose it out inside and out. Never seen anything like this but the car is 23 now and I believe this was never removed from the car. Amazingly the AC was clean and that's where the air goes first. Go figure.
Guess I'm good for another 23 years and can sell the old brass/copper unit for scrap?
Another thing I discovered. The small accumulation of what I thought to be antifreeze on top of the water pump was actually dirty condensation from the AC pipe dripping there
ALSO the car runs much better at full temp now as it's much cooler running than before.
I have the 84 LX conv, rebuilt '86 5.0 with AOD, CFI and AC.
This radiator is for the 4bbl but fit pretty good. Weighs nothing compared to the old metal one. Only PIA was getting the new steel clips on the soft aluminum rail for the fan shroud.
It is a major modern cheapo with plastic tanks and aluminum 2 core approximating the thickness of my original brass unit.
BUT it works fantastically. Changed nothing else. Only the radiator. Still running the same stock 192F thermostat.
It took about 1.5 gallons of 50/50 mix to fill the new radiator. I was surprised that all the trans fluid had drained back into the trans when cold and there was nothing in the trans cooler which was good saving a mess and not having to refill it.
I did like it said and idled the car for 1/2 hour and let it cool. Took off cap (against their advice) and topped off the tank about an inch while it was still warm. The next morning the expansion tank was down 1" so topped it off and went for a long drive.
NOW it runs in the 1/3 range of temp dial when it used to run 1/2-5/8 all the time and would spike 7/8's in traffic with AC on high. Never goes above 1/2 now no matter how hot in FL traffic.
I knew it had a very small leak as plugged it with "the stuff" which worked for a whole year.
You can see from the pix attached that there was a major buildup of paperlike greasy substance on the hidden inside surface of the radiator blocking those passages. There was significant blockage of grass and bugs too that washed out of the rest of it. It still needs recoring and that would have been way more than this new radiator costs - which is very light weight and certainly works well.
From now on if I get an oldie car I will remove the radiator and hose it out inside and out. Never seen anything like this but the car is 23 now and I believe this was never removed from the car. Amazingly the AC was clean and that's where the air goes first. Go figure.
Guess I'm good for another 23 years and can sell the old brass/copper unit for scrap?
Another thing I discovered. The small accumulation of what I thought to be antifreeze on top of the water pump was actually dirty condensation from the AC pipe dripping there
ALSO the car runs much better at full temp now as it's much cooler running than before.